Rotating magnetic field ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by promoting T cell peripheral accumulation and regulating the balance of Treg and Th1/Th17.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by T cell infiltration and demyelination of the central nervous system (CNS). Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a classical preclinical animal model of MS. In this study, we found that rotating magnetic field (RMF) treatment exerts potential preventive effects on the discovery of EAE, including reducing the severity of the disease and delaying the onset of the disease. The results indicated that RMF (0.2 T, 4 Hz) treatment increases the accumulation of CD4+ cells in the spleen and lymph nodes by downregulating the expression of CCL-2, CCL-3 and CCL-5, but has no significant effect on myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) specific T cell responses. Simultaneously, RMF treatment adjusted the imbalance between regulatory T (Treg) cell and T helper 1 (Th1) cells or T helper 17 (Th17) cells by increasing the proportion of Treg cells and inhibiting the ratio of Th1 and Th17 cell subsets. These findings suggest that exposure to RMF may improve EAE disease by promoting CD4+ cell accumulation into peripheral lymphoid tissue, improving the imbalance between Treg and Th1/Th17 cells. Therefore, as a mild physical therapy approach, RMF, is likely to be a potential way to alter the development of EAE.